15 Hour Wonders

Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 7:22:28 PM UTC-5, Bob Youngblood wrote:
The FAA has made it possible for glider plots with very limited time to acquire a CFIG rating with only 15 hours of total glider time. This is truly an accident waiting to happen, what could a glider pilot actually know with such limited time? What do you think?

Any SEL pilot usually thinks he knows it all when transitioning to gliders. If a 15-hour CFIG can't follow the tow plane, then we have a real problem. The FAA was thinking 7 seven hours when they made the rules, then doubled it to make sure, IMHO... And the guys at the field know if the CFIG pilot is an accident waiting to happen. They don't need to look at hours flown. Some come with natural gifts that others don't have. Hours are to get that little piece of paper. The rest is up to the community to police it.

Florida was crazy to give me a learner's permit to drive my Honda 90 on the road!
And the cops would chase us as we drove our Go-karts and homemade mini bikes on the road.
We had a big dent in the dryer that was in the garage. Flying into the garage as the garage door slammed down was a frequent occasion. The dent was a testament to too little brakes as we crashed hiding from the law!

I was in an R22 that had a boom strike! Now that is another story! And still alive to tell the tale!

What is the old saying? If you walked away from it, it was a good landing....

I did take a ride with a CFIG once that smelled of alcohol. The best pilot I ever ran into.

Credentials do not always make good instructors. But, I guess its the minimum that gives you status and keeps the insurance current...

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 3:25:35 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

The kid was like 20! But, he was a good stick from Switzerland. But when I did my check ride in the R22, the examiner was an old pro. I learned more in the short flight then my entire time with my instructor, other than the basics...... I'm not taking anything from the instructor. Both made me a good Heli pilot...

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 3:27:58 PM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 7:22:28 PM UTC-5, Bob Youngblood wrote:
The FAA has made it possible for glider plots with very limited time to acquire a CFIG rating with only 15 hours of total glider time. This is truly an accident waiting to happen, what could a glider pilot actually know with such limited time? What do you think?

Any SEL pilot usually thinks he knows it all when transitioning to gliders. If a 15-hour CFIG can't follow the tow plane, then we have a real problem. The FAA was thinking 7 seven hours when they made the rules, then doubled it to make sure, IMHO... And the guys at the field know if the CFIG pilot is an accident waiting to happen. They don't need to look at hours flown. Some come with natural gifts that others don't have. Hours are to get that little piece of paper. The rest is up to the community to police it.

Florida was crazy to give me a learner's permit to drive my Honda 90 on the road!
And the cops would chase us as we drove our Go-karts and homemade mini bikes on the road.
We had a big dent in the dryer that was in the garage. Flying into the garage as the garage door slammed down was a frequent occasion. The dent was a testament to too little brakes as we crashed hiding from the law!

I was in an R22 that had a boom strike! Now that is another story! And still alive to tell the tale!

What is the old saying? If you walked away from it, it was a good landing....

I did take a ride with a CFIG once that smelled of alcohol. The best pilot I ever ran into.

Credentials do not always make good instructors. But, I guess its the minimum that gives you status and keeps the insurance current...

Gary, yes, following the tow plane should be very routine for someone with all those ratings and experience, but we see it all the time. I can tell you all kind of stories about the days past in Miami, but as you well know having the fortune of flying with Bennie and Alfonso was such a joy. Long before Alfonso came into the picture Bennie and I were out at Mary's flying almost every day. I was a young guy that had just bought my first sailplane, a Standard Cirrus from a man named Ray Galloway. Bennie took me under his wing and taught me things that I would have never been able to learn without his guidance. That was sometime back in the late 70's and soon Alfonso showed up and things began to really rock. Pablo, AKA Paul Crowell was our daily tow pilot and to give you some idea as to the amount of flying that we were doing a review of my log book shows three flights on three consecutive days averaging 9 hours per day. I guess the point is that of the best glider pilots that I ever encountered was Bennie Flowers. Bennie was a Army Air Corps pilot with extensive glider flight training. I still have visions of the old TG-3 that he converted into a soaring machine.
Bennie Flew for Eastern, and often Andy McQuigg would come down to Thermal Research and fly with Bennie, Alfonso and myself. So when you talk about experience, you certainly know what I am referring to, did we have a blast! Bob

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:25:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

Walt you should really try to find more experienced instructor. I believe a helicopter pilot with under 500 hours is still very much a student. If you are near Southern Cal get sometime with Chin Tu at Civic in Carlsbad.

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 4:54:32 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:25:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity.. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

Walt you should really try to find more experienced instructor. I believe a helicopter pilot with under 500 hours is still very much a student. If you are near Southern Cal get sometime with Chin Tu at Civic in Carlsbad.

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 4:54:32 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:25:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity.. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

Walt you should really try to find more experienced instructor. I believe a helicopter pilot with under 500 hours is still very much a student. If you are near Southern Cal get sometime with Chin Tu at Civic in Carlsbad.

I already have my PPL helicopter, trying to find out how old the oldest successful candidate for a CPL Helicopter might have been, I'd like to take it at an older age. I believe my examiner thinks I'm the oldest successful PPL Rotorcaft candidate he has examined. Don't ever intend to fly or work again, just find myself with disposable income and what better way to dispose of it than flying.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot

:-D

On 12/14/2019 4:52 PM, wrote:
just find myself with disposable income and what better way to dispose of it than flying.

--
Dan, 5J

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 4:54:32 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:25:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Learning to fly an R22 from a kid that looks like he was 14 years would get you grey hairs real quick! And then to see his hand cocked from that stick as you thought you were going to DIE at the first hover was a learning experience I'll cherish the rest of my life! I made it!

I took one intro flight in an R22, read the documents informing you of the SFAR and the special training requiements and opted for the Guimbal Cabri G2. Got my rating in the Guimbal which has a few quirks of its own. True, the oldest instructor was a middle 20 something and there were instructors there who had never done a sign off for student solo or practical test but that is largely the nature of flight instuction these days. Now going to do some advanced training with a nice young guy, under 300 hours total but he appears to me to have the requisite flying skills and verbal capacity.. Again, it's not all about hours but SKILL, ABILITY especially in the communications phase and the proper personality. Just because you are a world aerobatic champion with far more skill than the average CFIG candidate doesn't mean you can properly train a glider pilot. I'm actually impressed with the youngster with whom I am not doing the whirlybird thing.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter pilot.

Walt you should really try to find more experienced instructor. I believe a helicopter pilot with under 500 hours is still very much a student. If you are near Southern Cal get sometime with Chin Tu at Civic in Carlsbad.

I have three hundred hours in an R44. Just enough to let me ferry a new one out of Robinson factory single seat. They take hours in a helicopter to be a big deal... You better respect Helicopters if you want to live a long happy life! Darn, they are fun! Gliders, too!!!

ASW27b Suzie Q

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 4:11:42 PM UTC-5, Bob Youngblood wrote:
On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 3:27:58 PM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 7:22:28 PM UTC-5, Bob Youngblood wrote:
The FAA has made it possible for glider plots with very limited time to acquire a CFIG rating with only 15 hours of total glider time. This is truly an accident waiting to happen, what could a glider pilot actually know with such limited time? What do you think?

Any SEL pilot usually thinks he knows it all when transitioning to gliders. If a 15-hour CFIG can't follow the tow plane, then we have a real problem. The FAA was thinking 7 seven hours when they made the rules, then doubled it to make sure, IMHO... And the guys at the field know if the CFIG pilot is an accident waiting to happen. They don't need to look at hours flown.. Some come with natural gifts that others don't have. Hours are to get that little piece of paper. The rest is up to the community to police it.

Florida was crazy to give me a learner's permit to drive my Honda 90 on the road!
And the cops would chase us as we drove our Go-karts and homemade mini bikes on the road.
We had a big dent in the dryer that was in the garage. Flying into the garage as the garage door slammed down was a frequent occasion. The dent was a testament to too little brakes as we crashed hiding from the law!

I was in an R22 that had a boom strike! Now that is another story! And still alive to tell the tale!

What is the old saying? If you walked away from it, it was a good landing...

I did take a ride with a CFIG once that smelled of alcohol. The best pilot I ever ran into.

Credentials do not always make good instructors. But, I guess its the minimum that gives you status and keeps the insurance current...

Gary, yes, following the tow plane should be very routine for someone with all those ratings and experience, but we see it all the time. I can tell you all kind of stories about the days past in Miami, but as you well know having the fortune of flying with Bennie and Alfonso was such a joy. Long before Alfonso came into the picture Bennie and I were out at Mary's flying almost every day. I was a young guy that had just bought my first sailplane, a Standard Cirrus from a man named Ray Galloway. Bennie took me under his wing and taught me things that I would have never been able to learn without his guidance. That was sometime back in the late 70's and soon Alfonso showed up and things began to really rock. Pablo, AKA Paul Crowell was our daily tow pilot and to give you some idea as to the amount of flying that we were doing a review of my log book shows three flights on three consecutive days averaging 9 hours per day. I guess the point is that of the best glider pilots that I ever encountered was Bennie Flowers. Bennie was a Army Air Corps pilot with extensive glider flight training. I still have visions of the old TG-3 that he converted into a soaring machine.
Bennie Flew for Eastern, and often Andy McQuigg would come down to Thermal Research and fly with Bennie, Alfonso and myself. So when you talk about experience, you certainly know what I am referring to, did we have a blast! Bob

Yes, these guys at Miami were the best of the best. The Fonz (E9), Bennie, Bill our 60 thousand hour tow pilot, Jon Fox and all that flew there. My brother was also inspirational in getting into the sport. Thanks, Charlie!

I flew 250 hours in the first year in an libelle chasing Bennie and Al around the patch in their
Ventus C's...

RIP Bennie and Al. We miss you!

I have a piece of yarn Bennie gave me to attach to my 27 winglets. He asked me to watch what the yarn was doing during the flight. He played with making winglets for his Ventus. That piece of yarn will never leave my 27 winglet. Every time I see it, I think Bennie is out on my starboard wing flying with me...

It's a fantastic sport and we are the lucky ones to have experienced it!